US Hits Three Iranian Oil Tankers Amid Escalating Conflict
The US military has struck three Iranian oil tankers in response to what it called 'multiple unprovoked Iranian attacks' on Navy warships. The strikes come after a day of downplaying the conflict by President Donald Trump, who described it as 'small potatoes'.
According to the US military, no American personnel were hurt during the attack, but two Iranian oil carriers were 'permanently disabled', and the third, unladen tanker was destroyed. The tankers were part of a shadow network allegedly helping to fund Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard and its armed proxies in the region.
The incident marks a new escalation in the ongoing conflict between the US and Iran, which began six months ago with US and Israeli attacks on February 28. Both sides have sought to inflict both military and economic pain, and negotiations have collapsed.